Attachment for serving bottle caps of varying thickness



Sept. 5, 1933. H. COMPTON ATTACHMENT FOR SERVING BOTTLE CAPS 0F VARYINGTHICKNESS Filed Jan. 7, 1932 E in: II:

Patented Sept. 5, 1933 PATENT OFFICE ATTACHMENT FOR SERVING BOTTLE CAP-S0F VARYING THICKNESS Harry L. Compton, Washington, D. C., assignor toAmerican Dairy Supply Company, Washington, D. C

Application January 7,

6 Claims.

This invention relates to attachments for serving or feeding bottle capsof varying thickness to .bottle capping machines of the usualconstruction and operation, employed to close milk bottles for deliveryto the users.

Certain types of milk bottle caps in common use have a tab secured. uponthe upper surface of the disk by means of a staple, the tab being apeplied to enable the user to pull the disk from the mouth of the bottle.It is found in practice that the tabs and the operation of securing themby staples in the. ordinary course of manufacture result in differencesof thickness. Furthermore, in the business of capping milk bottles it isoften desired and necessary to feed caps that have no stapled tabsthereon, but are plane paper disks. It is the purpose of this inventionto enable the disk or other caps to be fed continuously and withoutinterruption to the plunger devices, regardless of the thickness orvariation thereof in 1 caps bearing the tabs, and to permit the sameattachment to be efiiciently operated to feed plane caps. It is notintended to limit this invention to the precise shapes or sizes of theparts set forth.

A preferred form or this invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing constituting a part of this application.

Fig. 1 of the drawing represents a vertical sectional View through thecap magazine chamber and plunger chamber and the usual support therefor,and shows all parts assembled.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the broken line 2-2 of Fig.1 through the divisional wall between the cap magazine chamber and. theplunger chamber.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the two chambers and. the divisional wall.All essential parts of this invention are set out in this view,considered in connection with Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side View of the movable block or gate piece, of which Fig.5 is an end view, and Fig. 6 a top View.

Throughout the drawing and description the same number is used to referto the same part.

Considering the drawing, a support 1, which is a common part of acapping machine, carries the cap magazine chamber 2, and a plungerchamber 3 with the usual plunger 4. The caps are served or fed to theplunger upon the guide surface 5 of the supporting member 1.

The chambers have a common divisional wall 6, and formed in the bottomof this wall is a recess '7 usually having the general curved formationas illustrated in Fig. 2. As best shown in 1932. Serial No. 585,354

Fig. 1 it will be noted that the recess has a larger lower portion and asmaller upper portion. In the top or upper portion of the recess is abow spring 8, the ends of which rest against the top of the recess. Thespring bears upon the top of a unitaryblock which movably engages amiddle opening in a plate 9 that is secured to the bottom of the wall 6and. closes the recess. The middle opening of the plate is marked 9a inFig. 2.

The block 10 has a special shape. The form of the bottom is shown inFig. 3; the shape of the sides in Figs. 2 and 4; the end in Fig. 5 andthe narrower top in Fig. 6. In these views it will be observed that theupper portion 11 of block 10 is smaller and narrower than the lower orbody portion, and that the block has a projecting shoulder 12. The upperpart 11 of the block movable occupies the upper portion of the recessand prevents the block from turning in the recess. As stated, the spring8 bears upon the upper part 11 of block 10, and the shoulder 12 isintroduced to limit the downward movement of the block in the opening 9aof the plate 9.

In the operation of this invention, as the caps are fed from the capmagazine chamber upon the surface 5 which extends beneath the chamber, asimple disk cap without a tab will meet and raise the spring block veryslightly, and only a single disk will be permitted to pass to theplunger. If the cap has a tab, it will raise the spring blockcorrespondingly and only one cap will be allowed to pass at a time, andthat is the case even if the caps with tabs which follow from themagazine chamber vary slightly in thickness or in which the staplesproject in differing degrees above or below. It is important that thecapping machines may operate continuously without interruption due tospoiled or distorted caps, and it has been found in practice that thisinvention accomplished the desired object.

Having now described this invention and the manner of its use, I claim:-

1. In an attachment of the character described for bottle cappingmachines, the combination with a support, of a cap magazine chamber, aplunger chamber, a plunger adapted to reciprocate therein, a recess inthe bottom of the wall of the plunger chamber, a plate secured to thewall to cover the recess and having an opening, a block having a portionmovably occupying said opening, the said block having shoulders arrangedto limit the downward movement of the block in the opening, and a springin the recess above the block.

having an opening, a block having a portion mov ably occupying the saidopening, and a bow spring in the recess above the block havingits'middle portion bearing downwardly upon the block and its endportions in contact with thetop oi the said recess of the plungerchamberfwall. v

3. In an attachment of the character described for bottle cappingmachines, a plunger chamber and a cap magazine chamber having a divisionwall between them, a recess formed in the bottom of said wall, a platesecured to the .wall bottom to cover the recess and having anopeningin'the middle, a block having a portion movably oc' cupying the saidopening, means for limiting the downward movement of the block, and aspring arranged between the top of the recess andthe top of the block.

4. In an attachment of the character described for bottle cappingmachines, a plunger'chamber and a cap magazine chamber having a divisionwall between them, a recess formed in'the bottom i as of said wall, a,plate secured to the wall "bottom to cover the recess'and having anopening in the middle, a block having a portion movably occupying thesaid opening, said block having a shoulder arranged to limit thedownward movement of the block,-and a spring arranged between the top ofthe recess and the top of the block.

5. In an attachment of the character described for bottle cappingmachines, a plunger chamber and a cap magazine chamber having a divisionwall between them, a recess formed in the bottom of said wall and havinga larger lower portion and a smaller upper-portion, a plate secured tothe bottom of said Wall to cover the recess and having an opening, aunitary block having a larger' lower portion and a smaller upper portionadapted to occupy the said recess movably, and a spring in the saidsmaller portion of the wall recess above the block, the said largerportion of the block engaging the opening in the plate.

6. In an attachment of the character described for bottle cappingmachines the combination with a plunger chamber and a cap magazinechamber having a division wall between them, the said'wall having arecess formed in the bottom thereof and having a larger lower portionand a smaller upper portion, of a plate secured to the bottom of saidwall to cover the recess and having a middle opening, a unitary blockhaving a larger lower portion and a smaller upper portion adapted tooccupy the said recess movably, the said block having a shoulderdisposed to limit the movement of the block downwardly in said opening,and a spring in said smaller portion of the recess above the block, thesaid larger portion of the block engaging the opening in the plate.

, HARRY L. COMPTON.

